Apparatus for removing obstructions from conduits



Oct. 29, 1963 u. E. WHITEIS 3,108,302 APPARATUS FOR REMOVING ossmucnous FROM CONDUITS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 28, 1961 INVENTOR. ULYSSES E. WHITEIS AT'FQBNEYS Oct. 29, 1963 u. E. WHITEIS 3,

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING OBSTRUCTIONS FROM CONDUITS Filed July 28, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ULYSSES E. WHITEIS ATlORNEYS United States Patent ice 3,108,302 APPARATUS FOR REMDVING OBSTRUCTEGNS FROM CGNDUHTS Ulysses E. Whiteis, 1266 Acton Road, Columbus, Ohio Filed July 23, 1961, Ser. No. 127,535 4 Claims. (2. -19416) This invention relates to an apparatus for removing obstructions from conduits.

In general, the apparatus of the present invention includes a body means that carries a plurality of outwardly extending cutters provided with sharpened radially extending edges that serve to cut, breakup, and dislodge obstructions from the inner surface of a conduit.

The body means further includes anvil portions carried on opposite ends thereof and an impact mparting means is slidably carried by the body means and adapted to impart impact blows to the body means upon movement of the impact imparting means.

The apparatus is drawn through a conduit to be cleaned by means of cables secured to opposite ends of the body means.

In the vicinity of cement plants underground conduits quite frequently become clogged by firmly attached obstnuctions formed by cement dust that becomes mixed with rain water. It has been virtually impossible to remove these hardened obstructions by prior conduit cleaning techniques.

In accordance with the present invention, however, relatively hard and firmly attached obstructions are encountered, the cables are actuated to impart hammer blows to the obstructions by rapidly moving the impact imparting means relative to the body means and against the anvil portions. This drives the sharpened edges of the cutters against the relatively hard or firmly attache-d obstruction being encountered. The obstruction is thereby broken up and dislodged and it is removed from the conduit by pulling the cables to drag the apparatus and obstructing material outwardly to the end of the conduit.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for removing obs-tructions from conduits, which apparatus utilizes hammerblow action to dislodge relatively hard or firmly attached obstructions from the interior of the conduit.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the invention is clearly shown.

rln the drawings:

' FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of an apparatus for removing obstructions from conduits, said apparatus being constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial side sectional View of the apparatus of FIG. 1, the section being taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, the section being taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational View, partially in section, of the apparatus of the preceding figures showing same in contact with an obstruction in a conduit, the section being taken along a vertical plane through the longitudinal center line of said conduit; and I FIG. 5 is a second side sectional view of the conduit and apparatus of the preceding figure, the section being taken along a vertical plane through the longitudinal center line of the conduit.

Referring in detail to the drawings, an apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 and comprises a body portion indicated 3,1983% Patented Get. 29, 1963 2 generally at it and an impact imparting portion indicated generally at 12.

Body portion 10 includes a central cylindrical wall portion 14 disposed between radially inwardly tapered end sections 1 6 and 18. A plurality of cutter means indicated generally at 20 are mounted in peripherally spaced relationship on cylindrical wall 14.

Each of the cutter means 20 includes radially extended sharpened edges 22 and 24 which serve to cut, breakup, and dislodge the obstructions and thereby destroy the adhesion between the obstruction and the inner surface of the pipe. Each cutter means 29 is formed by a flange disposed in a plane inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the body portion or body means 10.

Each of the cutting edges 22 and 24 is provided on the flange by forming surfaces that are beveled relative to said plane of the flange such that each beveled surface lies in a plane substantially coextensive with said longitudinal axis of body means 10. This flange and edge configuration is illustrated in FIG. 1.

With reference to FIG. 2, body portion 10 includes a central longitudinally extending tubular guide means 26 each end of which confronts an inner surface 28 on an anvil member St} or 32.

Anvil members 30 and 32 are secured to in-turned end flanges 34 on the body member by welding or other suitable means. A plurality of pins 38 extend into confronting holes in the anvil members and body portion in press lit engagement therewith.

Impact blows are applied to the anvil members 30 and 32 by hammers 4-6 and 42 respectively.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, hammer-s 4-6 and 42 are in the form of relatively heavy axially converging collars provided with central holes 4-4 through which the ends of a rod or guide 46 are extended. Hammers 40 and 42 are anchored on rod 46 at welded junctions 4 8.

It will be noted that rod 4s extends freely through holes 50 in anvil members 3t and 32 and also freely through the bore in tubular guide means 26.

The apparatus can be pulled back and forth through conduit 52 by attaching a first cable to U-shaped member 54 and a second cable to U-shaped member 56.

Each of the cables extends to a respective open end of the conduit, not illustrated, and is attached to a conventional power driven sewer cleaning winch which serves to selectively apply tension to or release a respective cable.

Reference is next made to FIGS. 4 and 5 which illustrate a conduit 52 that contains an accumulation of a hardened obstructing substance 58 that is particularly diflicult to remove from the interior of a conduit as exemplified by a hardened mass formed by particles of cement that are frequently carried into underground conduits in the vicinity of cement plants.

When it is desired to move sharpened edges 22 against the obstructing substance 58, a cable 60 is pulled and a second cable 62 is released to retract hammer 40 to the position shown in FIG. 3. A substantial tensile force is next rapidly applied to cable 62, with cable 60 being released, whereby hammer 40 is driven against its respective anvil member 30 with impact action. This drives the sharpened edges 22 against the hardened obstructing substance. The cycle is repeated whereby the cutter means 26 cuts through and dislodges the obstructing substance.

When it is desired to drive sharpened edges 24 into the obstructing substance, cable 62 is tensioned and cable 66 is released whereby hammer 42 is withdrawn to the position illustrated in FIG. 5. Cable 60 is next rapidly tensioned, with cable s2 being released, whereby hammer 42 is driven against its respective anvil member 32 with impact action. This causes edges 24 to cut into and dislodge the obstructing substance 53.

It should be pointed out that sharpened edges 22 and 2 4 can be used either to chip away at relatively hard obstructing substances or to pierce and grip large dislodged portions of the obstructing substance whereby said portions can be withdrawn from the conduit.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for removing obstructions from conduits comprising, in combination, body means including an outer tubular body portion, a first converging end portion, a second converging end portion, and an inner open ended tubular body portion mounted between said end portions, one of said end portions including an anvil portion; an outwardly extending cutter flange mounted on said body means and disposed in a plane inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of said apparatus, said flange including a radially extending sharpened leading edge; and impact imparting means including a rod slideably extended through said tubular body portion and a hammer portion on an end of said rod and engageable with said anvil portion.

2. The apparatus defined in claim '1 where-in said body means includes a second anvil portion, said anvil portions being positioned on opposite ends of said body means, and wherein said rod includes a second hammer portion engageable with said second anvil portion.

3. An apparatus for removing obstructions from conduits, comprising, in combination, body means including an outer tubular body portion, a first converging end portion, a second converging end portion, an inner open ended tubular body portion mounted between said end portions, and two anvil portions, one on each end of said body means; an outwardly extending cutter flange mounted on said body means and disposed in a plane inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of said apparatus, said flange including a radially extending sharpened leading edge; and a radially extending sharpened trailing edge; and impact imparting means including a rod slideably extending through said tubular body portion, a first hammer portion on one end of said rod and engageable with one of said anvil portions for driving said sharpened leading edge in one direction, and a second hammer portion on the other end of said rod and engageable with the other of said anvil portions for driving said sharpened trailing edge in the other direction.

4. An apparatus for removing obstructions from conduits, comprising, in combination, body means including an outer tubular body portion, a first converging end portion, a second converging end portion, an inner open ended tubular body portion mounted between said end portions, and two anvil portions, one on each end of said body means; an outwardly extending cutter flange mounted on said body means and disposed in a plane inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of said apparatus, said flange including oppositely facing curved sharpened outer corners; and impact imparting means including a rod slideably extended through said tubular body portion, a first hammer portion on said rod and engageable with one of said anvil portions and a second hammer portion on said rod and engageable with the other of said anvil portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 920,544 Cope May 4, 1909 1,110,832 Shirk Sept. 15, 1914 1,600,578 Crickmer Sept. 21, 1926 1,937,742 Brink Dec. 5, 1933 1,972,402 Jones Sept. 4, 1934 2,287,916 Therrien June 30, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 8,902A Great Britain Apr. 17, 1907 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR REMOVING OBSTRUCTIONS FROM CONDUITS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION BODY MEANS INCLUDING AN OUTER TUBULAR BODY PORTION, A FIRST CONVERGING END PORTION, A SECOND CONVERGING END PORTION, AND AN INNER OPEN ENDED TUBULAR BODY PORTION MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID END PORTIONS, ONE OF SAID END PORTIONS INCLUDING AN ANVIL PORTION; AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING CUTTER FLANGE MOUNTED ON SAID BODY MEANS AND DISPOSED IN A PLANE INCLINED RELATIVE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID APPARATUS, SAID FLANGE INCLUDING A RADIALLY EXTENDING SHARPENED LEADING EDGE; AND IMPACT IMPARTING MEANS INCLUDING A ROD SLIDEABLY EXTENDED THROUGH SAID TUBULAR BODY PORTION AND A HAMMER PORTION ON AN END OF SAID ROD AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ANVIL PORTION. 